Uses of Katurai

Uses of Katurai

From Indonesia, katurai tree spread to other places in the Tropics. The different parts of the tree have different uses. For example, the leaves contain 26.5% crude protein, 5% nitrogen and oleanolic acid, and 60% starch.

 

As Food

 

In Sri Lanka, katurai tops are chopped, mixed with onions and cooked in coconut milk. Here in the Philippines, the flowers are made into salad, soup and the young leaves as vegetable.

 

In Java, the young leaves and fruits are given to lactating mothers.

 

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Atis

Atis is cultivated throughout the Philippines and is occasionally spontaneous. It was introduced from tropical America by the Spaniards at an early date and is now pantropic in cultivation.

The plant is a small tree to 3 to 5 meters in height. The leaves are somewhat hairy when young, oblong and 8 to 15 centimeters in length, with a petiole 1 to 1.5 cm long. The flowers occur singly in the axils of the leaves and are about 2.5 cm. long. They are pendulous, hairy , three angeld, and greenish-white or yellowish. The fruit is large, somewhat heart-shaped, and 6 to 9 cm in length. The outside of the fruit is marked by polygonal tubercles. When the fruit is ripe, it is a light yellowish green. The flesh is white, sweet, soft and juicy and has a mild, very agreeable flavor.

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Tahid-labuyo

Tahid-labuyo is found from Mindanao to Northern Luzon from sea level to an altitude of 1,400 meters. It also occurs in India to East Africa, China, Malaya and Austalia.

It is a scandent or strangling, smooth shrub, growing from 2 to 4 meters in length, the branches of which are armed with stout, sharp straight, or somewhat recurved spines, 1 to 1.5 centimeters long. The leaves are elliptic-ovate to oblong-ovate tapering to a short point, and the base rounded. The heads are solitary or in pairs, rounded and short-peduncled. The female heads are 7 to 8 centimeters in diameter, yellowish, dense, and in fruit, fleshy and up to 5 centimeters in diameter.

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